Blacksmith s tongs



um Model.

Patented July 17, 1883.

' N, PET! PhotmLitMgnpMv, Wuhmgton, D. C.

' UNITED. STATES- PATENT omen enonen M. BIRD, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BLACKSM ITHS TONGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,437, dated July 17, 1883,

Application filed May 19, 1883.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. BIRD, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massa chusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Blacksmiths Tongs, of which the following is a description sufliciently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is an isometrical perspective View, representing the tongs in use; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. 3, a top or plan view, and Fig. 4 a view of detached parts.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates to that class of blacksmiths tongs which are employed for holding and manipulating ordinary forge-work; and it consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, by which a more effective device of this character is produced than is now in ordinary use.

' The nature andoperation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation, its extreme simplicity rendering an. elaborate description unnecessary.

In the drawings, A B represent the handles,

. which are pivoted at w, and respectively provided withthe jaws C D, in the usual manner. A vertically-arranged bar or link, E, having an elongated slot, m, through its center, is arranged to slide on the handle A, the lower end of the bar being pivoted to the handle B.

Arranged to slide longitudinally on the handle A, and working in the slot m of the bar E, there is a key or wedge, G, provided with the retaining shoulder or hook, a, the key being kept in position by the mortised head h,

through whichthe handle passes. The handle B :is very much shorter than the handle A, and is provided with a series of holes, f, for adjusting the bar E thereon.

In the use of the ordinary blacksmiths tongs having the handles of equal lengths, and pro- (No model.)

vided with a sliding clamping-link, much difficulty is frequently experienced in turning or manipulating the tongs properly, when one of the hands is occupied in holding and using the hammer, on account of the distance between the handles. The handles are also liable to twist or spring, and the link to slip or I become loose, thereby permitting the iron in the tongs to get out of place, and cause much annoyance and loss of time in doing the work. My improvement is designed to obviate these difliculties, and to that end I make use of the means described, whereby the iron is securely grasped and held, the tongs easily turned and manipulated, and the workman given better control ofthe work than is possible when tongs of the ordinary construction are employed.

In the use of my improvement the key G is slipped back on the handle A, permitting the bar E to fall and the jaws O D to open. The iron is then inserted and the key pushed forward, causing the jaws to grasp the work and 'too far toward the jaws C D.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a blacksmiths tongs having handles connected by a clamping bar or link, the wedge or key G, adapted to slide on one of the handles and act upon said bar or link to close and lock the jaws of the tongs, substantially as set forth. I

2. In a blacksmiths tongs, the long handle A, provided with the jaw O, the short handle B, provided with the jaw D, said handles be ing pivoted together at x, and provided with the link E, jointed to the outer end of the short handle, and with the wedge or key G,

adapted to slide 011 the long handle and act in combination with the link E, handle A, and wedge G, whereby the' link may be adjusted 011 the short arm of the tongs, thereby affording an additional means of adjustment to that I 5 furnished by the wedge, snbstanti ally as shown and described.

GEO. M. BIRD.

\Vitnesses:

C. A. SHAW, L. J. WHITE. 

